Enter The Dragon
by watchingpaintdry
Summary: No one, either living, dead, or otherwise, has ever seen anyone, or anything, like her. Revamp in progress.
1. Running from the Past

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Chapter One: Enter the Dragon!

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Renji rolled over slowly, his head aching fit to burst. Slowly, he sat up; a hand over his eyes as he wondered vaguely what the hell had hit him. He was hoping against hope that it hadn't been Kenpachi and his miniature shoulder ornament, because if the fact that he couldn't feel his left arm meant what he thought it meant, then he was going to have a little bit of trouble hacking the two to pieces with Zabimaru for their troubles.

Looking down, he was relieved to find that the limb was still attached, though the vast amount of blood did not seem promising. Slowly flexing the fingers, he was happy to discover that it still worked, albeit slowly.

Speaking of Zabimaru…

Renji looked up, suddenly realizing that his sword was not at its usual place at his side, a wave of panic sweeping through him when he saw that what he was sitting on was not his futon, as he had first thought, but a strange, bluish-white glowing surface that seemed to extend all around him. Looking up, Renji realized that he was actually sitting in a ball of spirit energy, which was keeping him contained, and preventing him from reaching his blade, which, he now saw, was lying in the center of a large circle of the strange glowing orbs.

A circle of glowing orbs that just so happened to contain the remainder of the 13 Captains, and most of their lieutenants. He could see Byakuya to his right and Matsumoto to his left, leading him to believe that Hitsugaya was somewhere next to her, if the pattern was anything to go by. He suddenly started when he heard a familiar voice.

"Are you telling me you didn't know?"

Renji's head snapped around, turning to stare in disbelief at Aizen, who was standing in front of Byakuya, smiling serenely, head tilted to the side. Renji could just barely see a flash of silver-white hair off to Aizen's other side, and guessed that it was Gin. He was brought crashing down to reality by the look on Byakuya's face.

Now, Renji had never, in either life or death, seen his captain thrown for a loop. Now, however, he stared, openmouthed, at the Kuchiki's completely astonished expression.

Aizen's smile only grew.

"You didn't know that your best friend, decorated hero of the Great War, one of the most renowned Captains in all of the Soul Society, had sired a child?"

"You're delusional." Came Byakuya's cold reply. Gin laughed at this, though Renji couldn't see him.

"Would you like us to show you? She'll be here shortly, if Yammy and Ulquiorra's report is anything to go by."

"What are you talking about?" came another voice, this one sounding like it belonged to the aforementioned Kenpachi. It was Aizen who spoke this time.

"Nothing to worry about, those two are simply going to chase the young miss to a spot where we can open a successful portal to here, and when the transfer has been made, we'll see just what the child of the Legendary Yahiko Tadashi is capable of."

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"Kaida, make sure you get enough sweet bean jam for the extra Taiyaki!"

"I know, mom!" yelled the teenager struggling with her sandals in the foyer. She sighed, finally giving up in favor of simply walking in just her tabi. Her mother hated it, but oh well.

Down the street, through the park, and around the corner, she was finally able to hail the owner of the little mom-and-pop store she frequented.

"Hey, Kai, running errands for your mother?" asked the kindly old man, who had been busy sweeping around the front door. Kaida nodded, bowing respectfully before entering the store. The shopkeeper's wife smiled as she came to the counter.

"The usual?"

"Three pounds, actually, we're making a lot today."

"Make sure and bring us some when you've finished." She said as she handed over the package of sweet bean jam. Kaida nodded.

"Arigato, O-baa-san!" she bowed again before exiting the store, taking off at a swift jog when she hit the street corner. If she hurried, she could make it back by the time her mother started making the pancakes.

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"Is that her, Ulquiorra?" asked Yammy, grinning down at the figure of the running girl. His companion was silent for several moments, before answering.

"Yes."

"Running already…heh heh heh."

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Okay, translation note time!! YAY!!

Kaida: Little Dragon

Tadashi: Righteous

Yahiko: Samurai

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	2. Baki: The Red Fire Monkey

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Note on Review: This is not supposed to be a Mary Sue, but if that's how you interpret it, then have at. It's not my problem. I just write the stuff.

WPD

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Kaida didn't even slow down as she neared the corner, a sharp, 90 degree angle of solid concrete that was sure to give her a concussion if she missed it. Reaching out a hand, she grabbed hold of the light-post on the corner, using it to swing her body around the bend at an all out run. A loud crash from behind her indicated that the larger of her two pursuers had missed the turn and crashed into the wall.

'One down,' she kept score silently in her head, taking another turn at a rather dangerous speed, only to come to a screeching halt. There, right in front of her, floating a good three feet off the ground, was a strange, warped looking hole of darkness, tendrils of which were seeping out onto the pavement, inching towards her menacingly.

'What the…' she began, only to freeze as the energy signature of one of the spirits chasing her materialized behind her. She had barely enough time to turn and try to face him before a huge fist connected with the side of her body and she was thrown through the black hole into absolute darkness.

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"Damn idiot, we told him not to damage her."

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Kaida hit the ground hard, rolling and skidding across the floor before finally coming to a painful stop some fifteen feet or so from the portal, which was rapidly closing, but not before the two spirits that had been chasing her came through themselves.

Looking up, she was finally able to see the face of the one who had hit her.

He was massive, easily seven feet tall, towering over his smaller companion as he leered down at her on the floor, the strange bone-like face-plate covering his chin shifting as he moved. The odd markings on his face, just below his eyes, drew her attention, but only for long enough to realize that he was advancing on her.

Starting, she struggled to stand, wincing as pain shot through her left shoulder, which she had landed on.

"Are you sure we didn't get the wrong one, Ulquiorra? She seems far too weak." Said the giant, who was still advancing on Kaida with a rather menacing grin still plastered across his face.

"Don't you dare touch me." Kaida snarled, backing up another couple of feet, cradling her left arm to her chest. The giant stopped, seemingly stunned, before bursting into laughter.

"Such a pitiful little voice you have. Come now, I know you can beg better than that." He raised his fist back, ready to swing it at her full force, but she beat him to it.

Pulling the black rosary from her left wrist, she twirled it in her right hand once before her fingers settled on the only red stone on the strand. She began to glow as she recited an incantation.

"I summon thee, Baki, The First Red Fire Monkey of the North!" Her voice rose in volume as she continued, until she was shouting the last word. As her voice died, the spirit energy that had been accumulating around the rosary swirled and solidified before her into the form of a monkey. It was small, only about the size of a large cat, with pure white skin, fur, and eyes. It snarled menacingly up at Yammy as he stood there, arm still raised over his head, astonishment on his face.

Again, he burst into a fit of hysterical giggles, but Kaida's smirk only grew.

"You would do well not to underestimate her. Baki is not someone to be insulted by the likes of you."

"Ha! You think that little thing is going to stop me?" asked Yammy whipping tears from his eyes, he had been laughing so hard. Kaida grinned fully.

"Baki! Level Three! Release!"

The monkey immediately began to glow a fiery red, even as its fur darkened to a deep crimson color, and it began to grow in size, until it was easily the size of a carthorse, with saber fangs over a foot and a half feet long.

This time, when it snarled at him, laughter was the farthest from Yammy's thoughts.

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Yammy's body hit the floor with a resounding thud, and Aizen, Gin, and Ulquiorra seemed only capable of staring in shock at the red monkey, standing protectively in front of the girl. Blood ran freely from its jaws as it regarded them with eyes the same color as its fur.

"Anyone else feel like being an idiot and joining moron number one here?" asked Kaida, indicating Yammy's prone corpse. When she received no response, she sighed, before addressing the monkey.

"That's enough, Baki." The ape immediately reverted back to its smaller, white form, leaping lightly to the girl's shoulder, never taking its eyes from the group before them.

"Now, would one of you be so kind as to open a portal back to the living world so I can go home?" she asked, crossing her arms and frowning. Aizen chuckled.

"I'm afraid that's impossible." He said, smiling. Kaida regarded him quietly, and there was no laughter in her eyes when she spoke.

"And why is that?"

"Because, you can't leave. That would defeat the purpose of the exercise."

"What exercise?" she asked, her frown deepening as she tensed, the monkey on her shoulder quivering.

"We brought you here for a specific purpose. That purpose has not yet been fulfilled. It would be foolish to…" but Aizen stopped, seemingly startled as he suddenly turned to stare at the air behind him.

All other eyes were riveted on the spot as well, as another warped black hole materialized, and a woman stepped through it.

She was short, about the same height as Kaida, only around 5 feet tall, with long brown hair and kindly brown eyes, which were set in a worried frown as she solidified onto the concrete floor.

Kaida blinked.

"Mom?"

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_Okay, Notes on Character Time: (WARNING!! SPOILERS!!)_

_Name: Kaida Tadashi_

_Name Means: Righteous Little Dragon_

_Age: 15_

_Height: 5' 1"_

_Weight: unknown_

_Hair: Black with red highlights, ends, and bangs_

_Eyes: Black (Red when in Soul Reaper form)_

_Attribute: Unknown_

_Zanpaku-to: Hieimaru (Flying Shadow)_

_Release Statement: Burn_

_Bankai: Unknown_

_Extra(s): Four Spirit Beast Guardians:_

_- Baki: The First Red Fire Monkey of the North_

_- Fenrir: The Second Green Wood Wolf of the West_

_- Sakura: The Third Blue Tsunami Snake of the South_

_- Fritz: The Fourth White Wind Eagle of the East_

_Likes: Chinese food, reading, Taiyaki, music, sweet things, smores._

_Dislikes: Spicy food, crowded places, loud noises, cold. _

_Playlist: Everywhere - Michelle Branch, Hang On - Seether, Stay Beautiful - The Last Goodnight_

_Till next time!! Please don't kill ME!!_

_WPD!!_


	3. Mother May I

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Enter the Dragon!

Chapter Three: Mother May I…

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"Mom?" Kaida stared in astonishment at the woman, her mouth almost literally falling open, rather comically. The woman's head snapped around, and her suddenly harsh eyes settled on Kaida, before she fizzled out of sight, only to reappear before the suddenly nervous looking girl.

"Mom? What are you doing here? Better yet, where is _here_, what am _I_ doing here, and _who_ are these people?" The woman didn't answer, she was too busy staring in angry shock at the white monkey perched on the girl's shoulder, which was regarding her with a strange mix of foreboding and uneasiness on its face.

"Mom?" Kaida asked again, starting to become frustrated. The woman's eyes snapped up to her daughters, effectively silencing her.

"I did not give you permission to call your beast guardians. They are only to be used in emergencies!" Kaida's mother snapped. The girl's mouth fell open again, as she stared in incredulous shock at the older woman.

"Emergencies? What the hell do you think this is? A Picnic? That big guy was gonna crush me, what was I supposed to do, sit still and take it like a good girl?"

"No excuses!" her mother cut her off, and Kaida's angry expression spread as the older woman turned her back on the girl to face Aizen, Gin, and Ulquiorra, gaze even harsher than it had been before.

"It has been a while, Aizen."

"True, almost 20 years, eh, Hannah?"

Hannah grimaced, brows creasing as she drew a short sword from her robes, taking a fighting stance against the three men.

"None of you will take my daughter while I still live." She snarled. Aizen sighed.

"Very well."

Kaida's eyes widened as she stared on in shock and horror, her angry expression dissolving in an instant, the monkey letting out a sudden, dreadful shriek as Gin re-materialized from his place across the room right in front of Hannah, his sword whistling through the air as he struck.

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"MOM!!" The girl's shriek of shock, disbelief, and fear reverberated through the chamber as the woman fell, eyes wide as her sword slipped from her suddenly slack fingers. She seemed to collapse in slow motion, taking ages to fall into Kaida's shaking arms, the monkey going berserk.

"MOM!! Come on, speak to me! MOM!!" she shook the limp body desperately, tears streaming unconsciously from her eyes as she trembled. Hannah only managed to cough feebly, eyes dulling as they moved to Kaida's fearful face. Her hand quivered, as though she were trying to reach out to her daughter, and her lips parted, as though she meant to speak, but then she stopped, and lay completely still.

Kaida froze, her cry locked in her throat, eyes wide as she stared at the lifeless body in her arms. Blood was slowly soaking her clothes, pooling around them as she sat there, shock rooting her to the spot.

Gin chuckled softly, smiling as he sheathed his blade.

"She should not have picked a fight she could not win…" He began, but was suddenly silenced as the quivering form of the teenager on the floor exploded.

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"What the hell…?" Renji's cry was lost in the suddenly howling winds, hair whipping around his face as the girl's spiritual pressure spread out and expanded, growing with each passing second as she staggered to her feet, her human clothes disintegrating.

"Now…" her voice was soft, but strong, anger hardening it with a razor's edge.

"BURN, HIEIMARU!!" She screamed.

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She was rather menacing, the released Red Monkey standing behind her, her Shihakusho flapping in the winds her spiritual powers were kicking up. Her eyes had changed color, lightening from black to a deep, crimson red. Her skin seemed paler, while the harsh line of her brows, knitted together with anger and resentment, was mirrored by the even more sinisterly set line of her mouth.

Her Zanpaku-to was a sight to see. It was jet black, with no hilt or guard, though it looked something like a regular katana, only slightly shorter and thicker.

Her eyes shifted from Gin to the blade, then back again, eyes settling on him with a look that could have melted rock.

"What were you saying?" she asked quietly, her voice dangerously soft.

"Something about starting a fight you couldn't win?"

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Okay, Character Note Time!! (WARNING!! SPOILERS!!):

- Four Spirit Beast Guardians:

- Name: Baki

Title: The First Red Fire Monkey of the North

Release States:

- Level Three: Takes the form of a small white monkey, about the size of a large cat.

- Level Two: Turns a dark red, grows to the size of a large horse, canines extend. Can spit fire, is fire retardant, fur and skin form a sort of armor, which is unbreakable, even by Zanpaku-to.

- Level One: Takes the form of a woman in her mid-twenties, with flame red hair and eyes. Abilities in this state unknown.

Personality: Somewhat harsh and brutal, Baki is the voice of Anger within the Four Beasts Group. Most savvy about battle techniques, though she prefers to jump in, kick butt, and ask questions or think about the consequences later. Loud and brash at times, but also compassionate, though rarely.

Abilities: Has a handle on several very powerful fire based attacks, and is relatively indestructible.

Notes: Is the only one of the four beasts that is constantly with Kaida, and who remains with her at all times.


	4. Captain 5: Lily of the Valley: True Love

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Kaida woke slowly, stubbornly fighting the sleep still clinging to her eyes, struggling to open them. An unfamiliar ceiling met her gaze, unmoving in its immobility. She lay there quietly, mind completely blank as she stared straight ahead. Slowly, she sat up, wincing as she placed weight on her left arm. Rolling the shoulder experimentally, she supposed that it would be sore, after taking a hit from that monster.

That monster…

Suddenly, everything came crashing back down on her like a tidal wave, images flashing through her mind as vivid as though she were reliving them, all over again.

Her mother was…

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Renji started, looking around, wide eyed, as the strange sound filled the air. Ichigo had suffered a similar reaction, even going so far as to take several steps towards the girl's room, but Hanataro's hand stopped him.

His eyes downcast, the young medic stared sadly at his feet as the sound died.

"Just…Just let her be." He said quietly.

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"They'll be waiting for you." Said a voice from beside her. Kaida started, hurriedly wiping away the last of her tears as her eyes fell on the white monkey lying at her side, watching her carefully. She nodded silently, before carefully getting out of bed to pull on her shihakusho.

Her hand fell to the Zanpaku-to that had been lying beside it, and, after only a moments hesitation, she took it, slipping it into her sash.

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Hanataro started as the door slid open, revealing the girl.

She looked haggard, with dark circles under her eyes, and bandages still showing from underneath her uniform, but she nodded politely to the medic, bowing slightly, before waiting expectantly.

Blinking, he jerked himself out of his trance to bow in return, before motioning for her to follow him. He noticed the monkey that had been brought in with her leap lightly to her shoulder as she passed over the door's threshold.

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Kaida was silent the entire trip, not saying a word as they passed through the 13 barracks to reach the First Company's quarters.

Hanataro knocked on the door, and it was opened a moment later by a kindly looking woman, her hair braided around the front of her neck. Hanataro motioned to the girl, before bowing and turning away, leaving Kaida to be ushered in by the woman.

As she stepped through the door, she had the distinct impression that the eyes falling on her like rain were not those of people she should take lightly.

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Only 10 of the original 13 captains were in attendance of the assembly, a spattering of lieutenants lining the walls. Kaida stood before a wizened old man, his beard hanging almost to the floor, his cane seemingly the only thing keeping him from falling to the floor.

Baki was still perched on Kaida's shoulder, and was looking around, eyes flitting from face to face.

"Am I to believe," said the old man, effectively jerking Kaida from her half-trance.

"That this child defeated Gin Ichimura?" he asked, staring down Byakuya Kuchiki and Toushiro Hitsugaya. Both had their heads bowed, but nodded. Frowning, the old man turned to Kaida.

"Child, what is your name?" his voice was kinder, carrying more of a grandfatherly air. She hesitated before answering.

"I am Kaida. Kaida Tadashi."

Whispers swept the hall, Lieutenants turning to their Captains in disbelief and shock as the name spread through the room.

"Tadashi? As in Yahiko Tadashi?" It was Kenpachi who spoke, taking a step towards the girl, a strange mix of excitement and disbelief spreading across his face as his lieutenant, Yachiru, peeked over his shoulder.

Again, Kaida was silent for several moments, and a minute passed of absolute silence, as the whispers died, every ear and eye trained on her.

"I…I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" this time it was Hitsugaya who stepped foreword, eyes hard as they searched the fiery red of Kaida's own. She sighed, before shrugging.

"Exactly what I said. I never knew my father, and my mother never spoke of him."

"The pedigree of miss Tadashi is not the question of today's assembly." Snapped the old man suddenly, bringing his cane down on the ground several times, like a judge would a gavel, before glaring around the room. Kenpachi retreated to his place by the wall, and Hitsugaya turned back to the old man, frowning as he folded his arms.

The old man addressed Kaida again.

"Usually, a Ryoka, or any soul from the Rukongai, must pass through the Soul Reaper Academy before becoming a Soul Reaper. However, due to the situation at this time, and your apparent innate abilities, you will be welcome here as one of the Gotei 13, if you so wish."

Another wave of talking swept the room, but this time, it was indignant and shocked shouts and outcries of disbelief that filled the air. The old man silenced it with a look, and another stamp of his cane, before turning to Kaida.

"Gotei 13? You mean the 13 Captains?"

"Yes. We have several divisions without a leader, and I can appoint a tutor for you so that you can learn the necessary material while you are on duty."

"Which divisions have openings?"

"3, 5, and 9."

There was a long pause while Kaida just stood there, staring at the floor, thinking. Finally, she looked up at the old man, eyes confident, mouth set in a determined line.

"Then I, Kaida Tadashi, accept your proposal to become Captain of Fifth Company."

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MORE CHARACTER NOTES!! (WARNING!! SPOILERS!!):

- Name: Fenrir

Title: The Second Green Wood Wolf of the West

Release States:

- Level Three: Takes the form of a large green and brown wolf that wears a collar of branches and thorns.

- Level Two: Is able to stand upright, and takes on several human characteristics, like the forming of hands, human arms, and visible abs. Is still covered in fur.

- Level One: Takes the form of man in his early thirties with brown hair and green eyes. Very tall, over 6 and a half feet, hair is shaggy and hangs over his eyes, like a dogs.

Personality: Fenrir is much more laid back and relaxed than Baki, which causes conflict between them on several occasions. Easy going and slightly lazy, Fenrir is more likely to want to sleep than fight, though he is extremely loyal, going into a rage if those close to him are threatened.

Abilities: Fenrir is the strongest of the spirit beasts, showing this on several occasions when he cracks the ground with his bare fists and tears up enormous boulders with his bare hands. Can manipulate plants to his will, forming prisons from trees and rope from vines, all of which respond to his thoughts.


	5. Try As You Might, Fight Like That

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"…called Kido, the demon way, basic spells for containment, battle, etc…" Matsumoto's voice continued on, even as it faded in and out of her audience's conscious. Kaida was trying to listen and learn, really, but it was difficult. All Matsumoto had done in the three days she had been tutoring her was talk, and Kaida was the type who learned much better by doing.

"…ello?" Kaida blinked, jerking around to stare up Matsumoto, who was leaning over her with a slight frown on her face, before stuttering an apology as she realized her mind had been wandering out the open window.

"Gomen Nasai, Matsumoto Fukutaicho." She said hurriedly, averting her eyes from the busty tenth lieutenant. Rangiku sighed, before standing fully and brushing off her hakama.

"Come on, then. We'll see if anyone's at the training grounds." She said, smiling at Kaida knowingly. The girl smiled shyly back, before following, Baki perched on her shoulder.

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"Ken-chan, isn't that the girl from Monday's assembly?" asked Yachiru, shading her eyes as she strained from Kenpachi's shoulder to get a better look at the two women on the other side of the training arena. It was really little more than an open courtyard of packed dirt, surrounded by barracks.

Ikkaku and Yumichika looked over as well.

"She doesn't look too good." Said Ikkaku absentmindedly. Yumichika blinked at him, as did Kenpachi and Yachiru.

"What are you talking about? She made Captain without ever setting foot in the Academy, that's…"

"Not power wise. She's brimming with that. She doesn't look too good mentally. See the dark circles under her eyes? She hasn't been getting much sleep lately. And that loose fitting Captains uniform is probably the only think keeping Rangiku from fainting over how thin she is. I'll bet you she hasn't been eating much, either."

"And why do you say that?" asked Kenpachi as the two women continued walking down the open hall on the other side of the arena, completely oblivious to the conversation. Ikkaku shrugged and sighed.

"She just has the look of someone who hasn't eaten in a while. I remember that it was the same look that Renji and Rukia had when I first met them at the Academy. Being from the 78th district, they had little, and so went without."

"I can see where that would be a problem, if you lived in Rukongai, but this is the inner Seireitei. There should be no problems with finding food, and she hasn't even started her Captain's duties, so she's had plenty of time to sleep…" Yumichika began, but Ikkaku cut him off by getting to his feet and brushing off his Hakama. He then began to walk across the arena, feet kicking up dirt as he went.

"Ikkaku?" Yumichika looked stunned, but Kenpachi only chuckled.

"Let him be, this should be interesting."

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Kaida had been aware of the conversation between the three men since she and Rangiku had come within hailing distance of the training arena. She had watched out from the corner of her eyes as the three watched them pass, but finally turned her eyes away when the creature perched on Zaraki's shoulder, which she had mistaken for a bird, shifted, and turned into a miniscule, pink haired child.

She sighed, turning her attention back to Rangiku, away from the massive, pulsating spirit energies of the three men.

That is, of course, until one materialized right behind her.

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She moved on instinct, shoving Rangiku aside viciously as she drew her Zanpaku-to with her other hand, blocking the first hit and sending the bald man leaping backwards several feet. But she had lost precious seconds getting her Fukutaicho escort out of the way, and a corner of her left sleeve fluttered to the ground silently as she leveled her blade at the smirking man.

"Good, excellent reflexes, despite lack of proper sustenance. You lost time on the save, though, but my compliments for evading. I was actually aiming to cut you with that one."

"It seems a bit rude to attack without so much as even an introduction." Said Kaida coolly, never taking her eyes off of the man before her, who blinked, then laughed, scratching the back of his head apologetically.

"I do apologize. You are right; it was very rude of me. I am Ikkaku Madarame, third seat of 11th division. But I already know who you are." At this, Kaida began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Ikkaku had stopped laughing, instead watching her with a look of confusion on his face. Kaida finally looked up long enough to smirk at him.

"You picked this fight, which obviously shows you don't know me worth shit."

Ikkaku's left eye began to twitch in annoyance.

"You talk big, girl. But I can see, you're weak from lack of food and sleep. How do you suppose you're going to be able to fight someone of my caliber?" Kaida only rolled her eyes.

"God forbid, you men are all the same. You think you're such a big shot just cause you got a sword in your hand and too much testosterone in your system." Ikkaku had barely any time to blink in shock before her sword was coming at him, aimed for his neck at a lightning quick pace.

He moved, but wasn't nearly quick enough to dodge the attack, having instead to block it with Hozukimaru. Kaida's grin spread, and she vanished for his sight for only a fraction of a second.

But it was enough.

He could do nothing about the next attack, and as her blade sliced through cloth and skin, he thought he saw her eyes flicker faintly at the sight of his blood.

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Yamamoto blinked, turning to the door of his study.

"What can I help you with, Byakuya?" he asked, and the door slid open to reveal the 6th company Captain.

"You know why I'm here." He said, taking a seat across from the First Company Commander. Yamamoto sighed.

"You want to know why I placed the girl in a Captain's position, even though she hasn't gone through the academy." He said, chuckling. Byakuya was silent, eyes trained on the Commander, who finally looked up.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Miss Kaida is Yahiko's daughter." He said, turning to look out the window. Byakuya remained completely silent.

"A few days before Yahiko vanished, he came to me in much the same fashion as you did just now. He made me swear that if ever a child, whether male of female, came to the Soul Society with his blade, that I was to immediately elevate them to Captain status." Byakuya started.

"But you hadn't even seen her Zanpaku-to's released form." He said, confusion in his voice. Yamamoto chuckled.

"Did not you yourself say that she called it by name when she fought Gin? I remember, you told me that she said, quite clearly, Hieimaru. Now, I would hope that you haven't forgotten the name of your best friend's Zanpaku-to so easily."

"No," said Byakuya, turning to look out the window, to where a beautiful cherry tree was just starting to bloom.

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CHARACTER NOTE TIME!! (WARNING!! SPOILERS!!):

- Name: Sakura

Title: The Third Blue Tsunami Snake of the South

Release States:

- Level Three: Takes the form of a python with blue, white, grey, and black scales.

- Level Two: Sakura's lower half remains that of her reptilian counterpart, but her upper body becomes that of a woman, covered in scales, with white hair.

- Level One: Takes a fully human looking form, though she is still covered almost completely with scales. She wears a blindfold over her eyes at all times.

Personality: Sakura is the only one of the Spirit Beasts that never speaks, remaining completely silent at all times. She is slightly timid, and seems only comfortable around the other Beasts and Kaida, as she is seen to shy away from strangers.

Abilities: Sakura is an accomplished healer, and a master of substance. She can secrete two different types of venom. One category is used to kill, with toxins and poisons and the like, and the other is used to heal. She is a much more covert operative than the other Beasts, and has the ability to heal any wound, from minor cuts to being able to replace completely destroyed major organs.

Notes: Sakura is the slowest of the Spirit Beasts, remaining almost completely stationary whenever she is summoned.


	6. Bloody Moon: The Confrontation Begins

X-X-X-X-X

X-X-X-X-X

Blood ran down Hieimaru's blade from the point were Renji's hand held it, the razor edge cutting deeply into his palm. Kaida could only stand there, eyes wide as she stared at the rivulets of blood, running the length of Renji's lower arm to drip from his elbow to the floor, where a growing stain was slowly spreading outwards.

Ikkaku, too, seemed incapable of movement, let alone speech. He stared, dumfounded, at the wound on his shoulder. The cloth had been torn away and a large cut ran across the skin, but the brunt of the impact had been taken by Zabimaru, half of whose hilt lay on the floor, cleanly severed.

Finally, after the initial shock had passed, Kaida stepped back, and Renji released Hieimaru's blade, straightening himself to regard the much smaller captain curiously.

He, like Ikkaku, could tell just form looking at her that she had gone without sleep and food for several days, her clothes hanging from her already slim shoulders in a disheartening way. Suddenly, Renji was jerked out of his observations as something bit him on the ankle.

Looking down, he thought, for a fraction of a second, that it was Zabimaru biting him, but then he saw that the white monkey was far too small to be his blade's spirit. Kaida, too, blinked at the monkey, before suddenly springing foreword to grab the little creature by the tail.

"BAKI! What the hell do you think you're doing? LET GO!!" Kaida admonished the small ape, which turned to regard her with a sullen expression on its face, letting go of Renji's ankle somewhat half-heartedly.

Kaida scooped up the monkey, before turning apologetically to Renji. He himself could only stare at her. She had gone from quiet and poised one moment to flustered and seemingly uneasy the next.

"Gomen Nasai. I apologize, I don't know what's gotten into her." She said, looking down briefly to glare at the sulking monkey. It stuck its tongue out at her. She growled back at it.

"It's nothing," he said, regaining his composure and shrugging. He had stuffed his injured hand into his pocket, but Kaida unceremoniously dumped Baki into Matsumoto's stunned lap as the other woman finally came around, shaking her head dazedly from hitting it on the floor.

Kaida reached out and grabbed Ranji's hand. Startled, he tried to pull away, but she held firm with a surprisingly strong grip, turning it over so she could see the cut that Hieimaru had made in the calloused flesh. She sighed, before pulling off her rosary from her left wrist.

"I summon thee, Sakura, The Third Blue Tsunami Snake of the South." She said, softer than when she had summoned Baki, but still just as firm. The blue spirit energy amassing around her hand solidified into a snake, which was wrapped around her wrist and up her arm.

She looked up at Renji slightly apologetically.

"Whatever you do, don't panic, or move." She said, and the snake promptly sank its fangs into his palm.

This, of course, freaked the bejeezers out of Renji, who immediately tried to pull his hand away again. This time, Kaida released him, letting him stumble backwards, clutching his hand and generally melting down into hysterics.

After several moments of jumping around like a rabbit, in which time Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Yumichika had come over in response to the commotion, Renji had calmed down enough to point an accusing, shaking finger at Kaida, who just stood there calmly, the snake and monkey both regarding him with amused looks on their faces.

"What the hell was that!?" he yelled, shaking uncontrollably. He couldn't help it, he HATED snakes. Kaida sighed.

"You have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" Renji yelled, hopping from foot to foot nervously.

"That thing bit me!" Kaida rolled her eyes, before crossing her arms. Slowly, the snake dissipitated, finally vanishing from sight when Kaida spoke.

"Does your hand hurt?" she asked coolly. Renji paused, then looked down at said hand, blinking in shock when he saw that the wound inflicted by Hieimaru had vanished, along with the pain.

"How did…?" He started, but she cut him off.

"Her name is Sakura. She's one of my Four Beast Guardians. She has the power to heal, which you just witnessed." She bowed at this, then turned to Ikkaku.

"Hopefully, the next time we meet will be under better circumstances."

With that said, she turned and walked away, Matsumoto hurrying to catch up with her as she vanished around the corner, leaving the four men to stand there in shock, staring after her.

X-X-X-X-X

Kaida bowed to the smaller girl, her mind consequently wandering out the open window, even as she regarded her lieutenant with critical eyes. The girl was petite, with a kind face and large, expressive eyes. She carried no Zanpaku-to, which Kaida found slightly odd, though she said nothing on the subject as Matsumoto introduced the girl as Hinamori Momo.

"Kaida Tadashi." She said, smiling slightly at Hinamori, even as the other woman stared at her in shock. After several moments, Momo bowed her head, hands fisted in her lap.

"Welcome to Fifth Company, Kaida Taicho."

X-X-X-X-X

"Hinamori-San, can you run these files over to Toushiro's office for me? I need him to sign them before Tuesday." Kaida asked from her desk, having caught Momo at the end of her lunch break. The smaller woman smiled warmly and nodded, coming over quickly to take the proffered folder, before hurrying from the office.

She and Kaida had gotten along very well since their first meeting, Hinamori finding another woman who she felt comfortable talking to, and Kaida finding someone who knew the layout of everyday Soul Society life that didn't talk incessantly, like Matsumoto.

Kaida had also been very accommodating towards her lieutenant, running certain errands herself, instead of sending guardsmen or Momo to do it. This was especially true when it came to the other Companies. Kaida had, the day after meeting Hinamori for the first time, asked her to go through the Fifth Company roster to find people who were "familiar" with other companies.

These Twelve people were given the exclusive task of running documents, responses, letters, and errands from Fifth Company to the other Gotei 13. The system had worked surprisingly well, so far.

There was one exception, however, as no one could be found that was either willing to deal with Kenpachi, or knew the 11th company well enough to be trusted with the task. So Kaida had been running responses to 11th division herself, much to Hinamori's chagrin.

"It's not the duty of a Captain to run errands." Hinamori had admonished, hands on her hips as she faced Kaida, who was seated behind her desk, drinking tea and feeding Baki dango. Kaida had only sighed.

"Please, Hinamori. If I don't do something ordinary, then I feel uncomfortable and restless, not to mention guilty. Just let it go, please?"

Hinamori had only stared at her in shock, but had never brought up the subject again.

X-X-X-X-X

Kaida had only ever seen Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki from a distance, but running straight into the Captain of Sixth company one day as she was returning from a meeting with Toushiro was one of the most unexpected events she could have thought of. She literally ran straight into him, and would have fallen had he not caught her at the last moment. Aghast at her clumsiness, once back on her feet, she bowed hurriedly.

"Gomen-nasai, Byakuya Taicho. I'm very sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." She straightened uneasily, a worried expression on her face as she regarded the 6th Captain. He shook his head.

"It's nothing." Then he turned to the smaller woman who had been walking beside him.

"Kaida Taicho, I don't believe you have met my younger sister yet. Kaida Tadashi, this is Rukia Kuchiki." He said, indicating his sister. Kaida bowed, as did Rukia.

"It is an honor, Kaida Taicho." Said Rukia, smiling at the still slightly flustered captain, who smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head absentmindedly.

"The same. It was very nice to meet you, Rukia-san." Kaida said, nodding to the two as she stepped aside, allowing them room to pass. As they passed by each other, Rukia suddenly reached out a hand to take hold of Kaida's sleeve, stopping her.

"Rukia-san?"

"There is a gathering a few nights from now. My friends from the Real World are coming, and I'd like you to meet them." Said Rukia, smiling up at Kaida's slightly bemused expression, before her face split in a smile.

"Thank you, Rukia-san. I will be there."

X-X-X-X-X

"HINAMORI!!" Kaida's frantic call had her lieutenant sprinting to her side, eyes wide, a hand on her Zanpaku-to as she burst into her Captain's living quarters.

"What…?" she asked, confused. Kaida was sitting on the floor, looking rather haggard and upset. Kaida's closet was open, the only occupants apparently four extra sets of Shihakusho and an extra Captains cloak.

"Kaida, what…" The Fifth captain looked around the room, then sighed, turning red as she looked at the floor, refusing to meet Momo's eyes.

"I…uh…um…I don't have anything…to wear…" she mumbled, turning even redder as she said it. Hinamori blinked, before remembering that her Captain had been invited to the Kuchiki gathering that evening. She sighed.

"This is so like you, Taicho." She admonished, coming into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Always leaving things to the last possible moment."

X-X-X-X-X

Most of the Lieutenants and Captains had been invited to the party at Kuchiki manor, the exception being Ikkaku and Yumichika, who showed up anyway because they had heard there was going to be free booze.

But as Rukia looked around her, surrounded by her group of friends, which included Renji, Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, and Ishida, she had yet to see the captain of Fifth Company, who she had been hoping would attend.

Sighing, she turned back to her group, then noticed that Renji was gaping incredulously at the door.

Everyone seemed to turn at the same time, in slow motion, all heads turning to the door to stare, mostly slack-jawed, at the two women entering the party.

The first was Momo, her deep purple kimono making her look even smaller than usual.

The second was the one attracting stares.

Kaida stood in the doorway, looking slightly unnerved by the multitude of eyes trained on her. Baki was perched on her shoulder, her coat shining from it's recent wash, the monkey looking around with interest. But it was Kaida that was drawing the real stares.

Her kimono was jet black, with a blood red obi wrapped around her slim waste, accentuating her curves beautifully as she moved after Hinamori through the crowd in her Tabi shoes. Her black hair had been swept up into a messy bun, tendrils of flaming red framing her face, bringing out the deep crimson color of her eyes.

Finally, they had reached Rukia's group, all of whom were staring at the Captain of Fifth Company. Momo cleared her throat.

"Hello, Rukia-chan." She said, smiling as she watched, out of the corner of her eyes, both Ikkaku and Yumichika scoot through the crowd to get a better look at Kaida. The Captain smiled.

"Hello, Rukia-san. Are these your friends from The Real World?" she asked, looking around the circle. Most were able to get their jaws off the floor, and the general murmur of voices began to rush back in to replace the silence that had perforated the air only moments before.

Rukia nodded.

"This is Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Chad Yasutoru, and Ishida Uryu. I believe you already know Renji Abarai." She said, indicating each individual as she passed them.

Kaida laughed.

"We were never formally introduced, but yes, I know him. Hello, everyone, I'm Kaida Tadashi, Captain of Fifth Company." She went around the circle, shaking hands and laughing, breaking the uncomfortable silence with the sound.

She and Orihime soon found themselves in deep conversation with Matsumoto, Momo, and Yachiru, who, on seeing Kaida, had shrieked that she "looked even prettier than Ken-chan!"

Kaida had decided to ignore that comment, instead laughing, and, in one case, blushing furiously at Matsumoto's comment that is she wasn't careful then she was going to have some serious "boy problems" even as a drunk Ikkaku and Yumichika sidled over, only to be dragged away by a surly looking Kenpachi.

The night wiled away, and eventually everyone began to disperse, going home for the night.

Kaida found herself walking home alone, Toushiro having offered to carry Hinamori home early when she fell asleep on an abandoned couch. Kaida had laughed, saying that it was fine, and watched the two disappear, Momo riding piggyback, completely oblivious to the world as she snoozed, drooling slightly on Toushiro's good yukata.

Whistling, Kaida raised her face to the moon, smiling as she watched it glow, bright and full and seemingly calm above her. She began to hum softly, which, in turn, rose to full out singing, as she walked back to her quarters, oblivious of the two shapes hovering above the Soul Society, watching.

"That her?"

"No mistake, that's the one who took out Gin and Yami."

"Aizen want us to bring her in now?"

"No, he's waiting for Tosen to get back with the "leverage".

X-X-X-X-X

"_How long do you think you can run, Kaida?" asked a voice, smooth and harsh and menacing. A voice that grated on her nerves and sent chills down her pine. She shivered, looking around the barren wasteland._

"_Where am I?" she asked out loud, turning around in a full circle, panic setting in. _

"_You know where you are." Said THAT voice. _

_Kaida whirled, coming face to face with the scariest thing she had ever seen…_

She sat straight up with a cry, sweat drenching her body, breaths coming in heavy pants, even as she clutched her wildly beating heart.

After several moments, she was able to drag herself to her feet, shaking like a leaf, and stagger to the sliding doors leading outside, pushing them open to allow the chilly night wind to caress her face. Taking in huge lungfuls of the crisp air, Kaida was finally able to calm down somewhat.

What was that, that sensation of familiarity and fear that had gripped her heart when she had seen…what had she seen? She couldn't remember.

Pinching the bridge of her nose and squeezing her eyes shut, Kaida tried to think, tried to remember what it had been that she had seen, but no matter how hard she wracked her brain, she came up empty. 

Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet and made her way back to bed, pulling the covers up to her chin as she closed her eyes.

She would try to get some sleep tonight.

Outside, the full moon was changing; the once bright, pure, colorless light of earlier darkening until it resembled the glow of freshly spilled blood.

X-X-X-X-X

_Oooooooohhh….the fun begins…NEXT CHAPTER!!_

_Sorry the story line is so broken, but there is at least 2-3 days between breaks, and it's all in chronological order, so no worries. _

_PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!  
_

_ARIGATO!!_

_WPD!_


	7. Be Careful, Or I'm Gone

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X-X-X-X-X

Kaida woke to the pounding of feet on wooden floors and raised voices shouting in panic.

Leaping out of bed, she hurriedly pulled on her Shihakusho, grabbing her Zanpaku-to as she raced for the door, Baki on her heals.

"Momo!" she shouted, upon reaching her lieutenants door, pounding on it. When she received no answer, she shoved open the door hurriedly. What she saw made her blood run cold.

Momo's room was neat and immaculate, just as it had been when they had left for the party the night before.

The night before…

Toushiro had said he was taking Momo back to _her_ quarters, so why wasn't she here? Kaida found it rather unlikely that even Momo would take the time to re-make her bed in an emergency like this.

A shiver ran down Kaida's spine as she stood there, hand clutching the doorframe so hard it began to splinter. Her body was shaking uncontrollably.

Momo was missing, and Kaida had the distinct impression that it wasn't a good sign.

X-X-X-X-X

Momo struggled uselessly against her bonds, straining against her gag, trying to cry out, trying to get away.

Silent tears streamed from her eyes as the dark skinned man leapt from roof to roof, carrying her away to who knows where. She had to get back, she had to warn Kaida about what was going on.

In any other situation, Momo would have laughed at the thought of not being at her Captain's side in a situation like this, knowing that Kiada would be completely lost without her. Now, however, she wanted nothing more than for her Taicho to be beside her, laughing in that reashuringly gentle way she had, eyes creased happily as she let her spiritual pressure sooth the fears of the people around her.

Suddenly, Momo was jerked out of her reverie by Tousen's sudden halt. Looking up, she saw that they had stopped on the roof of the Repentence Palace. Confused, she looked around, not sure as to why her kidnapper had stopped.

And then she heard it. The sound of feet, racing across the tiled roofs towards them, and the snarling howl of a large animal.

Tousen turned, just enough so that Momo could see their pursuers if she strained.

There, racing towards them at break-neck speed, Baki sprinting ahead of her, was Kaida, blazing eyes narrowed dangerously as she ran, her Zanpaku-to gleaming in the early morning half-light.

X-X-X-X-X

Tousen was sweating heavily, actually straining to remain ahead of the Fifth Captain and her spirit guardian. The two had been hot on his heals for a good half-hour, and, at one point, had gotten so close that the monkey had actually snapped at his heals. Now, he was quickly running out of steam. They were a good distance form the Soul Society, having left even the Rukongai behind long ago.

But, there, just ahead of them, was the clearing. The agreed upon rendezvous.

Slowing as much as he dared, Tousen made the final dash to the tree line, hoping against hope that he didn't lose an arm in the process as the vicious snarling of the beast behind him grew closer.

X-X-X-X-X

"MOMO!" Hitsugaya's frantic, worried voice slowly reached her through the fog, and she opened her eyes to see his haggard face leaning over her, eyes wide with concern.

"Toushiro…" she said, groaning as she sat up, holding her head in her hands. The brush of fur against her side made her start, and she looked up to see Baki, in her small, white form, sitting beside her, a worried look creasing her features.

"Baki…?" Then the memories came rushing back in a torrent, and Momo could see it again, just like before.

She could see Kaida's back as she followed Ulquiorra and Halibel into the warp gate, her robes fluttering about her as she walked, head turning ever so slightly to gaze back at her Lieutenant as she vanished form sight.

"Momo, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" asked Hitsugaya, startled as tears began to stream down Hinamori's face. Choking, she covered her mouth with her hands, the tears escaping in a torrent.

Kaida was gone.

X-X-X-X-X

ARGH! It took me so long to update…I am SO sorry…I'll try to get to the next part soon!!

Please read and review!!

Arigato!

WPD

- X - X - X - X - X -

Character Note Time (WARNING!! SPOLIERS!!)

- Name: Fritz

Title: The Fourth White Wind Eagle of the East

Release States:

- Level Three: takes the form of a white eagle, about the size of a peregrine, with yellow eyes and beak.

- Level Two: Almost angelic in appearance, he takes a form similar to his first release state, only that he retains his wings, though they grow in proportion to his size.

- Level One: Takes the form of a very skinny man in his early twenties, with white hair and pale gold eyes.

Personality: Fritz is prone to uncertainty, and is the most self-conscious of the Four Beasts. He is most likely to falter when faced with Baki's wrath, though remains completely undaunted when in battle.

Abilities: Fritz is the fastest of the Four Guardians, capable of reaching speeds up to mach thirteen. His Razor Wing Winds attack is so quick that his opponent sometimes has time to attack several times afterwards before their bodies finally realize that they're already dead.


	8. Silence Was Their Constant Companion

X-X-X-X-X

X-X-X-X-X

"Welcome to Hueco Mundo, Kaida Tadashi." Aizen's smooth, calm voice echoed across the room to reach Kaida's burning ears. She only glared at him, blazing red eyes no more than hardened slits in her pale face.

The defunct Shinigami's smirk only grew; chin resting on his hands as he tilted his head to the side, regarding her.

"Now, there's no need to act so hostile, Kaida-san. You're here, so please, enjoy your stay."

Kaida's expression remained unchanged, and when she spoke, it was with the air of someone swearing a blood oath.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Aizen. I will remain here as long as necessary, but at the first opportunity, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Aizen nodded, still smiling.

"I expected as much. Very well. Grimmjow!" he called suddenly. The blue haired Espada looked up from his position leaning against the opposite wall, frowning.

"You will be Kaida-Taicho's escort for the duration of her stay." Said Aizen unexpectedly. There were several seconds of shocked silence before all hell broke loose.

"WHY?" Grimmjow yelled, indignant in his fury. He didn't WANT to baby-sit the girl.

"Aizen-sama, wouldn't someone else be more qualified to oversee such a prisoner?" asked Ulquiorra, expression unchanged.

"Are you sure, Aizen-dono?" asked Tousen, a skeptical look crossing his features.

Through it all, Kaida remained unmoved, eyes locked with Aizen's, a silent war traversing the miniscule hundred or so feet between them. Kaida was seriously considering Shunpo, but she was horribly outnumbered, stranded in a place from which she couldn't get back to soul society, without Baki at her side.

Besides, considering Aizen's Zanpaku-to's power, even if she did manage to kill "him", it probably wouldn't even be "him", and she would just end up being restrained by the remaining Espada. If she was lucky.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes, breaking the eyes contact.

In the dark, Aizen's smile only continued to grow.

X-X-X-X-X

Kaida had NOT been very happy about giving up Hieimaru, but, in the end, after being promised by Halibel that the Zanpaku-to would not end up in Szayel's clutches, she had relented.

Now, her new roommate's constant grumbling was the only sound available to her ears, contained within the suffocating white walls of their new room.

She sat, cross-legged, in silence on the couch, staring absentmindedly off into space, thinking. She wasn't particularly worried about her new companion, though he seemed plenty annoyed with the situation. She had been escorted here by Ulquiorra and Halibel, both of whose reiatsu had been far greater than Grimmjow's, and it was relatively easy to guess, from his rude manner and colorful words, why he had been chosen as "caretaker".

Secondly, she was pondering the likelihood of the scenario unfolding back "home". She had left Baki behind with Momo, a clear sign, she dearly hoped, that she had A) not left of her own free will and B) would be returning.

But that in itself was a problem. She was a Captain, and was expected to be able to handle herself and her people. If leaving Baki behind was a sign she would RETURN, then Yamamoto would probably not send help, which might prove troublesome if she DID need backup.

Thirdly, there was the small problem of the size of this place. It. Was. Freaking. Huge! She had tried, unsuccessfully, to memorize the path from the "throne room" to her new accommodations, but had given up after 10 minutes of walking, and several hundred turns and look-alike halls.

Lastly, there WAS the problem of her new "caretaker", because if she had ANY hope of escaping and/or killing Aizen and/or as many Espada/Arrancar as possible, then she would need to ditch/kill said "caretaker". And that might prove to be a problem.

"HEY!!"

Kaida jumped, wide, startled red eyes flying up to stare into Grimmjow's now far-too-close-for-comfort face. He was glaring at her, hands stuffed angrily into his pockets, leaning over so he was eye level with her.

"Don't space out on me, Shinigami! I been callin' your name for 5 minutes!" he straightened, Kaida noting, with some amusement, that the steady, fluid swagger with which he walked was mirrored in his other movements as well.

"I said don't space out on me, Shinigami!" he growled, glaring daggers at her. Kaida had returned to her previous position, cross-legged on the couch, elbows on her knees, chin in her palm. She blinked lazily up at the 6th Espada, not saying a thing, earning her an angry growl. She smirked.

Some men were SO predictable.

"My name is not, "HEY!", or "Shinigami", for that matter." She said, continuing to just sit there, blinking up at him with an I-Don't-Give-A-Fuck expression on her face. Grimmjow ground his teeth in irritation.

"Well I could care less. You're foods here. EAT!" he ordered, gesturing behind him to a waiting trolley, several covered dishes adorning the top shelf. She blinked at it, before turning her attention to him, laughing silently to herself in her head.

"But it's all the way over there." She said, in a very bored, slightly whiny voice. She was pleased to see a vein begin to pound in Grimmjow's forehead. He bared his teeth at her, every muscle straining with the effort to keep from lashing out.

"Then move over there," he ground out, one eye beginning to twitch uncontrollably. Kaida blinked at him again, and he lost it.

He reached for her, intending to escort her across the room by her collar, but just before his fingers brushed against her skin, she reached up a hand and easily grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm painfully to the side.

With a grunt, he fell to his knees, forced down by the shockingly strong pressure she was exerting on his unfortunate limb.

"Let's get one thing straight, Arrancar." Said Kaida in a dangerously calm voice.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. Me." She stated, enunciating each word very clearly, eyes boring through his own brilliant blue ones.

"Do you understand?"

He could do nothing but nod.

X-X-X-X-X

Kaida had eaten her food without complaint, and left Grimmjow alone for the remainder of the afternoon. Actually, she had completely ignored him, acting as though he weren't even there.

When night fell, Kaida took the bed closest to the wall (there were two), and promptly rolled away from him, her back facing the window.

Silence was their constant companion.

X-X-X-X-X

_OH YEAH, Kaida's getting some dominatrix like qualities there at the end…I don't know why, it just did. Heh heh…she totally put Grimmy-Chan in his place, and had fun doing it…WOO HOO…_

_Yeah, seriously, I'm done. _

_Kaida: What am I doing here?_

_Grimmjow: WHAT THE FUCK??_

_Me: YO!!_

_Kaida: Who are you?_

_Grimmjow: (turns blazing eyes of imminent doom on my poor, unfortunate person)_

_Me: TILL NEXT TIME!! _

_Grimmjow: (grrrrrrrrr)_

_Me: HELP!!_

_Yeah, Please READ and REVIEW!!_

_Arigato!!_

_WPD_


	9. A Heart Attack Inducing Sleep

X-X-X-X-X

X-X-X-X-X

Kaida had always had one single, recurring problem back in Soul Society. She was constantly late to early morning group meetings, usually called by Yamamoto on account of something that usually was boring to the point of tears.

Kaida's problem was that she slept like a log, and it usually took Momo, Baki, Matsumoto, and Renji (occasionally), to wake her up in time to attend the meetings, usually late, with a seriously bad case of bed-head and a sleepy demeanor that usually got her in trouble, as she was more prone to tact-less, homicide inducing comments about other people, usually to their very confused, angry faces.

Her favorite victim seemed to be Kenpachi, as he ended most meetings by being dragged away by a struggling 11th company, Kaida's dazed, sleepy smile only enraging him further.

Kaida was also rather useless until she fully woke up, and had, many a time, been dragged to the meeting by Momo, and had snoozed on the aforementioned unfortunate fukutaicho's shoulder through the whole meeting, as Matsumoto and Renji both looked on in sympathy, Baki rolling her eyes from Kaida's tabi entombed feet.

Now, Grimmjow knew nothing of this, so when he attempted to rouse the unconscious Captain from her sleep at the crack of dawn the next morning, he was met with little (aka. absolutely none whatsoever) success.

"Shinigami!" Grimmjow called from across the room, turning to glare at the lump she made under the covers.

Kaida didn't budge.

"Shinigami!!" Growing irritated, Grimmjow crossed the room to stand right beside Kaida's bed, leaning over to yell in her ear.

"HEY, SHINIGAMI!!"

She still didn't budge.

Now thoroughly alarmed, Grimmjow reached out a hand to roughly shake the girl's shoulders, and she still didn't move.

Grimmjow was now to the point where he thought she was dead, and starting to freak out, as her death would mean bad shit would happen to him later on.

Finally, after more frantic yelling, rough shaking, and general hysterics from the blue haired Espada, Kaida was "awake" enough to roll over and blink sleepily up at him, smiling dazedly before flopping back on her pillows, mumbling something incoherent about chocolate covered marshmallow bananas.

X-X-X-X-X

After his heart-attack-inducing-morning-wake-up-call, Grimmjow was seriously considering just killing Kaida and being done with it, or himself, if he could get around to it.

However, at about noon or so, Kaida finally rolled out of bed, walking sleepily to the bathroom, mumbling a slight "good morning" as she passed him.

Five minutes later, and she had returned to the couch, her old self again, and was back to treating him like a part of the wall.

He sighed.

It was going to be a long day…er, afternoon.

X-X-X-X-X

_Wow…uh…well, I kinda got flamed last chapter and…wow…(scratches back of head)…I'll be damned…(shrugs)…Oh well, their problem, not mine…I just write it…_

_Heh heh heh…READ AND REVIEW!!_

_ARIGATO!!_

_WPD _


	10. Play Fight: Names Exchanged

X-X-X-X-X

X-X-X-X-X

Several days after her arrival, and Kaida was going stir-crazy.

Cooped up in her and Grimmjow's room, all she ever had to do all day was think and listen to Grimmjow's colorful complaining.

They both ate in silence, and slept the same way, and then spent the day either arguing, which was a sight to see, though rare now, or ignoring each other, lost in the stifling silence, trapped in their own thoughts.

This particular day, however, about a week after her arrival, and Kaida had seriously had enough.

If she had to stare at that SAME patch of white wall any freaking longer, she was gonna go insane.

Then it hit her.

Back in Soul Society, she had observed several occasions when, bored to tears, Ikaku and Yumichika, and occasionally Kempachi and Yachiru, would just start fighting.

Training.

With a sly grin she stood quietly, as to not disturb the quiet mumbling of her companion, and walked across the room slowly, as though making her way to her bed.

She grinned fully, her back to Grimmjow, before shunpo-ing across the room.

She caught him completely off guard, knocking him over and pinning him to the floor, grinning at him, before leaping off him, careful of the hand that had just made a swipe for her.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!" Grimmjow yelled, jumping to his feet, glaring at her.

Kaida actually giggled, hopping form foot to foot excitedly. She hadn't had this much fun since before she had gotten to Hueco Mundo, and she had almost forgotten what actual "human" contact felt like.

Grimmjow growled at her, uncertain of what the hell was going on, but unwilling to turn his back on her. Slowly, he circled around the room, and she mirrored him, going the opposite way, suddenly exorbitantly bright red eyes locked on him.

And then she took a step closer, and vanished again.

If he hadn't been an Espada, he suspected she probably would have overpowered him a long time ago; even so, it was difficult to keep up with her speed.

She faked left, dodged right, and made a faint to the side, before catching him squarely in the ribs with a perfect right hook.

Slightly winded, he doubled over, catching her arm and twisting it, but too late. She was two steps ahead of him, using her weight and momentum to throw them both back, wriggling out from his grip in the ensuing pileup.

She danced across the room, her quick footwork never stopping, even when she came to a single spot, she was constantly moving her feet, breathing evenly as she raised her fists in a mock fight pose, eyes still trained on him as he pushed himself up.

He still wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she was a Captain, and hadn't tried to kill him yet. True, that right hook had hurt like shit, but there were no broken bones, just bruises.

She was pulling her punches, stretching this out.

Basically, he concluded, she wasn't fighting for real, she was play fighting, training, maybe just testing him.

He still wasn't sure, but he would play along.

He lunged for her from across the room, using his taller frame and longer legs to his advantage, eating up the small space between them with ease, but she was smaller and more agile, far more likely to slip through his grasp if he wasn't careful.

Another left faint, their right fists connected, and he was confused, until he felt the limb lock up. He swore under his breath as she came in for a high kick, aiming for his chest. He brought his free arm up to block, but suddenly the trajectory of her leg was changing, and she snapped the foot in right behind his knee, buckling the whole leg.

And then she was dancing away again, grinning outright now, a fine sheen of sweat covering her brow, hair falling into her eyes.

Panting, he grinned too, shaking out his arm and leg before going back in.

This time she came in straight at him, body centered, arms up to block around her face, then she was ducking, knees touching the floor as she skidded under his hakama, his curse was answered by a laugh as she came up behind him, a left punch aimed for his shoulder.

He barely blocked, before they were separating again, both grinning like maniacs, lost in the high of their fight, evenly matched.

Another step, and they were locked again, she coming in with a right faint, him with a left punch. She dodged, fainting right again before coming in on his left, skipping under his arm as it swung, before suddenly setting her feet. One hand gripped his wrist, the other coming up on his thigh as she came up into his stomach, her shoulder winding him as she made contact, knees snapping out, straightening her legs completely as she twisted at the hip, lifting him bodily off the floor with her momentum, bringing him crashing down on to the white stone.

They separated, her to stand beside her bed, him to stagger to his feet where he had landed, in front of the couch.

Both were panting heavily, chests heaving for air, sweat slicking back hair and making clothes stick uncomfortably.

But their eyes were locked, and their smiles were broad.

Kaida suddenly started to laugh, loud and long and clear, a bright, brilliant sound that rang off the walls, reverberating through the space as she fell back on her bed, spread eagle on her back.

As her chuckles subsided, Grimmjow collapsed onto the couch, grinning form ear to ear.

"Thanks Grimmjow." She said, still laughing.

"You're welcome, Shinigami. But next time, give me some warning first." He said, shaking his head. She stopped laughing, sitting up to glare at him.

"And give you the advantage?" she asked in mock indignation. He blinked, then laughed too.

"And don't do that." She said suddenly. He stopped laughing as well.

"What?" he asked, suddenly irritated. "Is laughing a crime now?"

"No no no!" she said hurriedly, raising her hands in mock defense.

"I called you by name, so why can't you use mine?"

He blinked at her for several long moments, watching her bright red eyes shift across his face curiously.

Finally, he grinned.

"Alright then, Kaida."

X-X-X-X-X

_Yeah, the fight scene was fun to write…and it's just some random, useless fluff between the two of them there at the end, AAND more characters will actually make APPEARANCES in the next few chapters, and we will finally GET ON WITH IT!!_

_OH YEAH, BABY!!_

…_yeah, I'm done…_

_ANYWAY, READ, REVIEW, AND (possibly) GET A COOKIE!!_

_ARIGATO!!_

_WPD_


	11. Nightmare: Darkness in the Dead of Night

X-X-X-X-X

"_Enjoying yourself, eh Kaida?" asked THAT voice, a sinisterly sickening smile spreading across the horribly grotesque face. _

"_Who are you?" Kaida yelled, voice echoing across the vast expanse of emptiness, even as she turned in circles, searching. _

_For what?_

_A dark chuckle, and Kaida whirled to face the voice, only to be met by empty air. _

"_I'm right here." Said the voice, and Kaida turned again, expecting to find nothing, but was, instead, met by a mirror. _

_It was old, worn and spotted with age, the ornate frame dulled by the endlessly shifting sands. It was full length, suspended in the air by invisible means. _

_Slowly, with a feeling of foreboding growing in her stomach, Kaida stepped towards it, circling till she was faced by her own reflection, _

_Only, it wasn't her own reflection. _

Kaida awoke screaming, clutching her chest as her heart pounded against her ribcage. She was completely oblivious to Grimmjow, who had started awake at her sudden cry, and was kneeling next to her on her bed, worry creasing his face.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, her face paling even more, sweat beading against her skin as she fought to intake air, her lungs burning, her throat constricting as she remembered.

Facing that monster, facing it through the mirror.

She didn't remember.

Again, as hard as she fought to remember, the memory eluded her, a dark blank on her immediate conscious that terrified her more than the actual dream had.

Finally, she looked up at Grimmjow, who still looked worried, and, without thinking, reached for him.

She locked her arms around his back, her sobs tearing through her chest as she shook like a leaf, terror still rushing through her veins like adrenalin, her face buried in his neck.

Grimmjow stiffened, but slowly relaxed, wrapping his arms around her in return, rubbing her back reassuringly as he murmured soft words of comfort in her ear.

Slowly, her sobs subsided, and Kaida found herself giving herself over to the darkness once again.

X-X-X-X-X-X

When she next awoke, sunlight was softly filtering in through the window, throwing a single ray of white light across the floor. She shifted slightly, and noticed that she wasn't sleeping on her normal pillow.

She looked up, and was surprised to see Grimmjow's worried, haggard blue eyes gazing back at her.

He was sitting with his back against her headboard, legs folded, her head in his lap, his fingers running calmingly through her hair.

Neither of them moved for several minutes, lost in the moment. Finally, a knock at the door made them break apart, Grimmjow standing from the bed as Kaida sat up.

A moment later, and Ulquiorra entered the room, taking in Grimmjow's sleep deprived face and Kaida's slightly red eyes without comment.

"Aizen-sama has called you before him, Kaida-san. Prepare yourself, and be ready in 10 minutes." He said emotionlessly, then exited the room.

Kaida remained silent, but managed to stagger from her bed, making it halfway to the bathroom before Grimmjow stopped her, his hand on her arm.

"What happened last night?" he asked, and she could still see worry in his eyes.

She sighed, running her free hand through her disheveled hair.

"Just a nightmare." She said.

"Just a nightmare."

X-X-X-X-X

I'm SOOOOO sorry it took so long to update, but I was seriously coming up EMPTY HANDED for this one. But now I'm back…and OMG THIS CHAPTER IS BOTH SHORT AND WEIRD!!!!

And when I say WEIRD, I mean it with ALL CAPITAL LETTERS!!!

It seems to be REALLY EMO and STRANGE and EVERYONE is OUT OF CHARACTER!!!!

And I'll definitely see you ALL NEXT CHAPTER!!!!

READ and REVIEW!!!!

Arigato.

WPD…


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